I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the proposed amendment to permit rock climbing at Devil’s Glen Provincial Park. This initiative directly contradicts the park’s ecological protection mandate under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, which prioritizes the permanent safeguarding of ecological integrity for all Ontarians.
Ontario Parks’ own studies—including those by Gould (1984), Jalava (2008), and the park’s Background Information Report—clearly identify the cliff and talus areas as “Extremely Sensitive” to human disturbance. These habitats have evolved over centuries without interference and are not resilient to recreational impacts. Numerous academic and climbing community studies confirm that climbing activities can severely degrade these fragile ecosystems.
The current climbing access is the result of years of neglect, not policy. Despite existing management plans prohibiting climbing, unauthorized use has expanded, bringing overcrowding, ecological damage, and unsanitary conditions. Rather than addressing these issues, the proposed plan suggests expanding infrastructure, such as parking, which will only worsen the problem.
The adjacent crown land, acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada for conservation, was intended to be managed as a nature reserve—not repurposed for recreational climbing. Ontario Parks’ removal of ecological protection signage and apparent curtailing of impact assessments following political pressure is deeply troubling.
This pattern of disregard undermines public trust and the credibility of Ontario Parks’ conservation mandate. Without clear, enforceable commitments to prioritize ecological integrity over recreational interests, I cannot support this proposal. Devil’s Glen deserves responsible stewardship—not a compromise of its irreplaceable natural heritage.